Domaine Lucien Albrecht bankrupt

Domaine Lucien Albrecht’s crémants are popular in the US, and routinely received excellent reviews that lauded the wines as extraordinary value.

The winery however had a reported €9m of debt.

The Orschwir-based estate’s books are being examined by insolvency administrator Nathalie Guyomard, and a decision as to the future of the domaine is expected in mid-November, according to Pasternak Wine Imports, Albrecht’s US importer.

According to Richard Kannemacher, marketing director for the Conseil Interprofesssionel des Vins d’Alsace, Domaine Albrecht was the second largest exporter of wine to the US market in 2010 and 2011, and ranks in the top 30 among all Alsace producers.

‘Domaine Lucien Albrecht is into receivership, and some business buyers wishing to take over the firm are expected. A court decision about that is planned on 13 November,’ Kannemacher said.

Among the most frustrated onlookers are dozens of growers who are still owed money for their grapes. Growers interviewed by online newspaper L’Alsace.fr said that they were accustomed to having been paid late over the past couple of years.